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in accordance with the likelihood of our kinship you showed your care for us throughout your whole life, and to love the city now for our sake, but not to alienate yourself from the city because of us. 59.2 If therefore there is any comfort in Christ, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, fulfill our prayer; stop the gloom here, give some beginning to brighter things for the future, yourself leading others to what is best, and not following another to what ought not to be. For not even a body's particular character has been considered so much one's own as the peaceful and gentle nature of your soul. It would be fitting, therefore, for such a person to draw others to himself and to provide for all who approach you to be filled, as if with the fragrance of some perfume, with the goodness of your character. For even if there is some opposition now, yet a little later it will recognize the good of peace itself. But as long as slanders have a place because of the division, it is necessary for suspicions always to increase for the worse. It is, therefore, not fitting for them to neglect us, but more than all for your honor. For if we are sinning in some way, we will become better when admonished. But this is impossible without meeting. But if we do no wrong, for what reason are we hated? These things, therefore, I put forward as my own personal defense. 59.3 But as for what the Churches might say on their own behalf, not benefiting from our division, it is better to be silent. For I have not used these words to cause pain, but to stop painful things. But nothing has at all escaped your understanding; rather you yourself could discover with your mind and tell others much greater and more perfect things than we can conceive, you who indeed saw before we did the harms to the Churches and are more grieved than we, having long ago been taught by the Lord to despise none of the least of these. But now the harm is not confined to one or two, but whole cities and peoples suffer from our misfortunes. For what need is there to say what sort of reputation we will have in exile? It would be fitting, therefore, for your greatness of soul to yield contentiousness to others, or rather, to remove it from their souls too, if possible, and for you yourself to conquer painful things through forbearance. For to take revenge belongs to everyone who is angry. But to be higher than anger itself, this belongs only to you and anyone similar to you in virtue. But I will not say that he who is angry with us unleashes his anger upon those who have done no wrong. Therefore, whether by your presence, or by a letter, or by a summons to yourself, or in whatever way you wish, comfort our soul. For our prayer is that your piety might appear in the Church, and that you might heal both us together and the people by your very sight and by the words of your grace. If, therefore, this is possible, it is best; but if something else seems right, we will accept that too. Only be pleased to make known to us what seems best to your wisdom.

60. TO GREGORY, HIS UNCLE

60.1 I was glad to see my brother before (for why should I not be, since he is both my brother and such a man?), and now I have welcomed him on his visit with the same disposition, having turned aside none of my own affection. For may nothing of such a kind ever happen that would cause me to forget my nature and be set at war with my own kin. But I considered the man's presence to be a comfort for the infirmities of my body and the other pains of my soul, and I was overjoyed at the letters brought by him from your honor; for which reason I have long desired to come, for no other reason than that we should not add some gloomy tale to life, such as a division between the closest of kin, providing pleasure to enemies, but a disaster to friends. and displeasing to God, who

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κατὰ τὸ τῆς συγγε νείας εἰκὸς παρὰ πάντα τὸν βίον τὴν κηδεμονίαν ἡμῶν ἐπεδείξω, καὶ τὴν πόλιν νῦν ἡμῶν ἕνεκεν ἀγαπᾶν, ἀλλὰ μὴ δι' ἡμᾶς ἀλλοτριοῦν σαυτὸν τῆς πόλεως. 59.2 Εἴ τις οὖν παράκλησις ἐν Χριστῷ, εἴ τις κοινωνία Πνεύματος, εἴ τι σπλάγχνα καὶ οἰκτιρμοί, πλήρωσον ἡμῶν τὴν εὐχήν· ἐνταῦθα στῆσον τὰ κατηφῆ, ἀρχήν τινα δὸς τοῖς φαιδροτέροις πρὸς τὸ ἑξῆς, αὐτὸς τοῖς ἄλλοις καθηγού μενος ἐπὶ τὰ βέλτιστα, ἀλλ' οὐχὶ ἀκολουθῶν ἑτέρῳ ἐφ' ἃ μὴ δεῖ. Καὶ γὰρ οὐδὲ σώματος χαρακτὴρ ἴδιος οὕτω τινὸς ἐνομίσθη ὡς τῆς σῆς ψυχῆς τὸ εἰρηνικόν τε καὶ ἥμερον. Πρέποι δ' ἂν οὖν τῷ τοιούτῳ τοὺς ἄλλους ἕλκειν πρὸς ἑαυτὸν καὶ παρέχειν πᾶσι τοῖς ἐγγίζουσί σοι, ὥσπερ μύρου τινὸς εὐωδίας, τῆς τοῦ σοῦ τρόπου χρηστότητος ἀναπίμπλασθαι. Καὶ γὰρ εἴ τι καὶ ἀντιτεῖνόν ἐστι νῦν, ἀλλὰ μικρὸν ὕστερον καὶ αὐτὸ τὸ τῆς εἰρήνης ἀγαθὸν ἐπιγνώ σεται. Ἕως δ' ἂν ἐκ τῆς διαστάσεως αἱ διαβολαὶ χώραν ἔχωσιν, ἀνάγκη ἀεὶ τὰς ὑποψίας ἐπὶ τὸ χεῖρον συναύ ξεσθαι. Ἔστι μὲν οὖν οὐδ' ἐκείνοις πρέπον ἀμελεῖν ἡμῶν, πάντων δὲ πλέον τῇ τιμιότητί σου. Καὶ γὰρ εἰ μὲν ἁμαρ τάνομέν τι, βελτίους ἐσόμεθα νουθετούμενοι. Τοῦτο δὲ ἄνευ συντυχίας ἀμήχανον. Εἰ δὲ οὐδὲν ἀδικοῦμεν, ἀντὶ τίνος μισούμεθα; Ταῦτα μὲν οὖν τὰ τῆς ἰδίας ἐμαυτοῦ δικαιολογίας προΐσχομαι. 59.3 Ἃ δ' ἂν ὑπὲρ ἑαυτῶν αἱ Ἐκκλησίαι εἴποιεν, οὐκ εἰς καλὸν τῆς διαστάσεως ἡμῶν ἀπολαύουσαι, βέλτιον μὲν σιωπᾶν. Οὐ γὰρ ἵνα λυπήσω τοῖς λόγοις κέχρημαι, ἀλλ' ἵνα παύσω τὰ λυπηρά. Τὴν δὲ σὴν σύνεσιν πάντως οὐδὲν διαπέφευγεν, ἀλλὰ πολλῷ μείζω καὶ τελειότερα ὧν ἡμεῖς νοοῦμεν αὐτὸς ἂν ἐξεύροις τῇ διανοίᾳ καὶ ἄλλοις εἴποις, ὅς γε καὶ εἶδες πρὸ ἡμῶν τὰς βλάβας τῶν Ἐκκλησιῶν καὶ λυπῇ μᾶλλον ἡμῶν, πάλαι δεδιδαγμένος παρὰ τοῦ Κυρίου μηδενὸς τῶν ἐλαχίστων καταφρονεῖν. Νυνὶ δὲ ἡ βλάβη οὐκ εἰς ἕνα ἢ δεύτερον περιορίζεται, ἀλλὰ πόλεις ὅλαι καὶ δῆμοι τῶν ἡμετέρων παραπολαύουσι συμφορῶν. Τὴν γὰρ ἐπὶ τῆς ὑπερορίας φήμην τί χρὴ καὶ λέγειν ὁποία τις ἔσται περὶ ἡμῶν; Πρέποι οὖν ἂν τῇ σῇ μεγαλοψυχίᾳ τὸ μὲν φιλόνεικον ἑτέροις παραχωρεῖν, μᾶλλον δὲ κἀκείνων ἐξε λεῖν τῆς ψυχῆς, εἴπερ οἷόν τε, αὐτὸν δὲ δι' ἀνεξικακίας νικῆσαι τὰ λυπηρά. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ ἀμύνεσθαι παντός ἐστι τοῦ ὀργιζομένου. Τὸ δὲ καὶ αὐτῆς τῆς ὀργῆς ὑψηλότερον εἶναι, τοῦτο δὲ μόνου σοῦ καὶ εἴ τίς σοι τὴν ἀρετὴν παρα πλήσιος. Ἐκεῖνο δὲ οὐκ ἐρῶ, ὅτι ὁ ἡμῖν χαλεπαίνων εἰς τοὺς μηδὲν ἀδικήσαντας τὴν ὀργὴν ἐπαφίησιν. Εἴτε οὖν παρουσίᾳ, εἴτε γράμματι, εἴτε κλήσει τῇ πρὸς ἑαυτόν, εἴτε ᾧπερ ἂν ἐθέλοις τρόπῳ, παραμύθησαι ἡμῶν τὴν ψυχήν. Ἡμῖν μὲν γὰρ εὐχὴ ἐπὶ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας φανῆναι τὴν θεοσέβειάν σου, καὶ ἡμᾶς τε ὁμοῦ καὶ τὸν λαὸν θερα πεῦσαι αὐτῇ τε τῇ ὄψει καὶ τοῖς λόγοις τῆς χάριτός σου. Ἐὰν μὲν οὖν τοῦτο ᾖ δυνατόν, τοῦτο κράτιστον· ἐὰν δέ τι ἕτερον δόξῃ, κἀκεῖνο δεξόμεθα. Μόνον γνωρίσαι ἡμῖν τὸ παριστάμενον τῇ φρονήσει σου παρακλήθητι.

60.τ ΓΡΗΓΟΡΙΩ ΘΕΙΩ

60.1 Καὶ πρότερον ἡδέως εἶδον τὸν ἀδελφόν μου (τί γὰρ οὐκ ἔμελλον,

ἀδελφόν τε ὄντα ἐμαυτοῦ καὶ τοιοῦτον;), καὶ νῦν δὲ τῇ αὐτῇ διαθέσει προσεδεξάμην ἐπιδημήσαντα, μηδέν τι τῆς ἐμαυτοῦ στοργῆς παρατρέψας. Μηδὲ γὰρ γένοιτό τι τοιοῦτο μηδὲν ὅ με τῆς φύσεως ἐπιλαθέσθαι καὶ ἐκπολε μωθῆναι πρὸς τοὺς οἰκείους ποιήσει. Ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν τοῦ σώματος ἀρρωστημάτων καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἀλγεινῶν τῆς ψυχῆς παραμυθίαν ἡγησάμην εἶναι τὴν τοῦ ἀνδρὸς παρουσίαν, τοῖς τε παρὰ τῆς τιμιότητός σου δι' αὐτοῦ κομισθεῖσι γράμμασιν ὑπερήσθην· διὸ καὶ ἐκ πολλοῦ ἐπεθύμουν ἐλθεῖν, οὐκ ἄλλου τινὸς ἕνεκεν ἢ τοῦ μὴ καὶ ἡμᾶς τι σκυθρωπὸν διήγημα τῷ βίῳ προσθεῖναι, ὡς ἄρα τις εἴη τοῖς οἰκειο τάτοις πρὸς ἀλλήλους διάστασις, ἡδονὴν μὲν ἐχθροῖς παρασκευάζουσα, φίλοις δὲ συμφοράν. ἀπαρέσκουσα δὲ Θεῷ, τῷ